How Alcohol Is Made:
Alcohols are produced by several methods. The main industrial method is hydration of alkenes, where water adds to an alkene in the presence of an acid catalyst, e.g., CH₂=CH₂ + H₂O → CH₃CH₂OH. In laboratories, alcohols can be made by reducing aldehydes, ketones, or carboxylic acids using reducing agents like NaBH₄ or LiAlH₄. Alkyl halides can also form alcohols through substitution with aqueous alkali (R–Br + NaOH → R–OH). Another important process is fermentation of sugars by yeast, producing ethanol and carbon dioxide (C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH + 2CO₂).